Ozanam Hall, formerly known as Clifton-Fullerton Hall, is home to student dorms, as well as numerous academic and administrative offices. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)The Clifton-Fullerton building at 2350 N. Clifton has been a home for many students over the past two decades, as well as a home to a number of faculty and staff offices. This facility will continue to serve the DePaul community for years to come. Beginning this summer, it will bear the name of the famous Vincentian lay leader, Frédéric Ozanam.
DePaul made this name change to highlight the university's place within the international Vincentian family, which includes lay people working all over the world in service and solidarity with those most in need. They serve as integral contributors to a shared Vincentian mission with the Congregation of the Mission, DePaul's sponsoring religious community. The name change to Ozanam Hall affirms the university's partnership with the extended worldwide Vincentian family in a meaningful and visible way.
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (1813-1853) was a French literary scholar, lawyer, journalist and equal rights advocate who lived in Paris in the early nineteenth century. Following the practices of Saint Vincent de Paul and inspired by his faith, Ozanam served the poor and destitute of Paris. He and his friends saw the power of bringing together students to study Vincentian principles and engage with those who were marginalized and poor. In 1833, Ozanam and his friends founded the charitable Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.
Today there are over 1.5 million lay Vincentians around the globe who continue to serve those in need. They work for systemic change through outreach to homes, prisons and hospitals through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the networks of charity and justice it has enabled in over 150 countries throughout the world.
Learn More about Frédéric Ozanam:
Podcast: The Virtuous Personality of Frédéric Ozanam
Video lecture: Romantic Catholics: Frédéric and Amélie Ozanam, Marriage, and the Catholic Social Vocation
Blog reflection: The Long and Winding Road
Digital archive of “Frédéric Ozanam: A Life in Letters"